Vinyl control joint

ABSTRACT

A Vinyl Control Joint assembly for concrete structures having an outer surface includes an elongated and rigid fin or plate place in the middle of the device for extending two inches into either or both sides of newly formed concrete at a pre determined location from the surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Ser. No. 60/504462

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to a device and method forinducing controlled cracks in concrete to avoid random cracking on theinterior and exterior surface of concrete structures.

As concrete shrinks during the curing period, stress in the concrete isrelieved by cracking. In most structural concrete, cracking is expectedand is not a problem unless the surface is subject to water intrusion,is exposed to view, or both. Then, the issue of cracking becomes anissue.

An important characteristic of exposed concrete is that it has pleasingvisual surfaces. When a surface is marred by unsightly cracking, orcracking which is leaching white salts, it becomes displeasing and ugly.

Cracking can be reduced through attention to the design ofreinforcement, optimum mix, and high quality placement and curingprocedures. A wall of the same profile and construction throughout, willcrack every in periodic locations.

In addition, cracks may appear due to isolated restraint or weakening ofthe wall. Restraint due to additional reinforcement, such as in-the-wallcolumn reinforcing or intersecting wall bars, or whether the volume ofthe wall is reduced by openings or offsets in thickness, may also causecracks.

There are very specific and positive ways of planning and executingconcrete work relating to crack control. since cracking is a naturalpart of a concrete surface, it is desirable to control it so that thecracks occur in a location where they are acceptable to the appearanceand also so that they can be sealed against moisture.

Unfortunately, the method most often used to address cracks in bothdesign and construction is temporary fillers or injected materials.Since cracking is inevitable, it is easy to dismiss the issue and hopethat the cracking will not deter from the appearance or allow moistureto enter the structure.

Ignoring cracking in exposed concrete work may suffice for a time.However, cracks will start to show. The inevitable signs of streakingwhere weather darkens the cracks, where white salts are brought to thesurface or by leakage when water penetrates into the interior of abuilding, soon appear.

Allowing cracking to appear without any control is only effective whenthe concrete surface is heavily textured and is not exposed to weather.In this case, the texture is such a dominant feature that the cracks donot detract from the appearance and, of course, there is no water toaffect the surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Cracking can be controlled by creating a vertical weakened section inthe wall within every 20 feet. This allows the shrinkage stresses to bereceived at the weakened joints, inducing a crack and controlling wherethe crack occurs.

Construction joints are crack control joints. However, to require themat such short intervals is not practical for effective constructionexcept in very limited circumstances. The most effective methods ofinducing cracks are by creating week areas in the concrete wall. Byplacing the vinyl control joint device between two concrete forms, fromthe top to bottom, a week area is created. The vinyl control jointprotrudes two inches into the concrete from both sides reducing the wallintegrity by twenty percent. This controlled weakness will allow thewall to crack, if necessary, in a previously determined location. Thedevice creates a weakened vertical strip inside the concrete acting toreduce the thickness similar to the use of reveals.

In addition to using reveals or vinyl control joint, cracking canfurther be insured, if the structural integrity allows, by interruptingup to 50% of the temperature reinforcing steel.

Crack control materials such as wood, neoprene or nylon reveals arereadily available from local supply houses. The vinyl control joint ofthe invention are cut to fit on a job-custom bases for specific use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method ofinducing cracks in the volume of concrete at a location spaced away fromthe outer surface of the concrete, by imbedding in the concrete anelongated vinyl control joint in the concrete at a location spacedinwardly from the outer surface of the concrete.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a vinyl controljoint assembly and method which is simple in design, rugged inconstruction and economical to manufacture while being effective tocontrol the cracking in concrete structures.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses,reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additionalfeatures of the invention that will be described hereinafter and whichwill form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and. scopeof the present invention.

Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S.Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a newVinyl Control Joint device apparatus and method which has many of theadvantages of the closures mentioned heretofore and many novel featuresthat result in a Vinyl Control Joint device which is not anticipated,rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior arttool guides, either alone or in any combination thereof.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new VinylControl Joint device which may be easily and efficiently manufacturedand marketed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new VinylControl Joint device which is of a durable and reliable construction.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a newVinyl Control Joint device which is susceptible of a low cost ofmanufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and whichaccordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consumingpublic, thereby making such Vinyl Control Joint devices economicallyavailable to the buying public.

Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a newVinyl Control Joint device which provides in the apparatuses and methodsof the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneouslyovercoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

1. A Vinyl Control Joint device to be placed in newly poured concretewalls and structures creating a weak spot in the wall in order for acontrolled crack to appear if and when any expansion/contraction andstructural movements during and after concrete curing of the wall.
 2. AVinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the deviceembodies an elongated barb at the end of the interior fin to hold itposition within the concrete.
 3. A Vinyl Control Joint device accordingto claim 1 wherein the device interior fin extends two inches into theconcrete from the surface.
 4. A Vinyl Control Joint device according toclaim 1 wherein the device embodies a center exterior fin to be attachedto the concrete forms or to be used as an attachment point for removal.5. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein the deviceis manufactured of vinyl or plastic.
 6. A Vinyl Control Joint deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein the device is cut to length at the point ofuse.
 7. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 wherein thedevice is placed inside of concrete forms prior to the pouring of theconcrete.
 8. A Vinyl Control Joint device according to claim 1 whereinthe device is installed in newly poured concrete walls from the top ofthe wall to the bottom.
 9. A Vinyl Control Joint device according toclaim 1 wherein the device does not extend beyond two inches into theconcrete wall.